In early 2021, Scream 5 producer and Radio Silence member Chad Villella joined the Film Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania to discuss how the team was finishing the long-awaited fifth chapter amid pandemic restrictions.

Alongside directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Villella worked remotely with Michèle Hozer, the acclaimed editor from The Cutting Factory in Canada. By that point, the crew was entering the seventh week of the directors’ cut.

“So we’re basically editing via Zoom,” Villella explained. “The three of us are in the same room, so we can have small side conversations as we go through the edit. So far, it’s been great. Technology works really well. It’s really weird not ever having met her in person — which is kind of crazy — but it’s working out really great. Her team is incredible.”

He added that the music editor had just joined the process, and sound mixing would begin soon after.

Kevin Williamson’s blessing

According to Villella, a rough cut was screened for Paramount Pictures on February 22, but Scream’s creator Kevin Williamson saw it first — and loved it.

Villella, a self-professed Dawson’s Creek fan (“I used to have a Joey Potter poster in my locker”), recalled how meaningful Williamson’s feedback was:

“This is a lot of fun. You did it justice,” Williamson told him.

“That was the only blessing we cared about,” Villella admitted. “After that, Radio Silence could finally sleep in peace.”

How the project won Kevin back

Getting that blessing took persistence. Villella revealed that screenwriter Jamie Vanderbilt repeatedly pitched the revival to Williamson:

“Jamie had to go several times, saying, ‘Hey, this property belongs to Spyglass Entertainment. They have the rights, and we want to revisit the Scream world — but we won’t do it without your blessing.’ Initially, he said no. But Jamie persisted and shared his vision and the team he was putting together.”

Eventually, Williamson joined as executive producer, ensuring the new generation would honor the series’ legacy.

A tribute to Wes Craven

Villella promised that the film pays tribute to the late director in multiple ways:

“No spoilers, but he is in the movie — in a whole bunch of different ways. In ways that are very obvious, in ways that are hidden, in ways that are just complete Easter eggs in production design. Wes Craven is throughout the movie. We hope it shines through.”

Post-production and release

The team’s original goal was to release Scream 5 on the 25th anniversary of the 1996 film, but pandemic delays pushed the date back one month. Post-production was wrapping around April–May 2021, with the final release scheduled for January 14, 2022.

Twenty-five years later, the spirit of Wes Craven was still guiding the cut — right down to the very last frame.